Mazhar Syed graduated with an M.A. in Political Science - Concentration in United Nations and Global Policy Studies, focusing on counter-terrorism, violence and security, from Rutgers University in May 2016. As the first graduating class of the M.A. program, Mazhar took part in the program's initial global youth empowerment initiative, where he researched civil society organizations' work in providing education for all. The ongoing initiative aims to develop a collaborative website where civil society organizations can contribute and learn how to best empower youth around the world.